With only a couple of weeks left in the semester, and the big projects and papers piling up, students are stressed-out of their information-fried brains and look anywhere for quick solutions to make their work easier. Some student’s exercise, do yoga, take countless deep breaths, while others abuse prescription drugs such as anti-stress medications, antidepressants, or stimulants such as Adderall.

There is no value in taking shortcuts to reduce stress or cram for exams. Students hope their problems will fade with the dissolving of a pill, but taking a pill won’t solve the problem and could even make things worse. Instead, the solution is to find natural and healthy ways to reduce stress and maintain productivity.

The New England Journal of Medicine conducted a national survey of 13,500 college students, and found nearly 45 percent reported being so depressed that they had difficulty functioning, and 94 percent reported feeling overwhelmed by everything they had to do.

Sadly, some students turn to a stimulant called Adderall; a medication used to treat ADHD. Students use this drug to keep awake and aware throughout the night while cramming for an exam. But there are side effects to such a solution. In 2005, Shire Pharmaceuticals, the creator of Adderall, reported 20 sudden deaths from the use of its extended version of the drug: Adderall XR.So what’s better? Studying days before the test and receiving a good grade, or cramming with the use of a drug that might have you dead by morning?

Others use antidepressants to take the edge off, or just to relax before a test worth ¼ of their grade. Just like stimulants, there still are side effects and repercussions to antidepressants as well. The National Institute of Drug Abuse says that the effects of prescription drug abuse could include depression, fatigue, dizziness, poor judgment, impaired coordination, urinary retention, memory loss, slowed pulse and breathing impairment.

Not knowing how the drugs will affect you is the number one reason not to take it unless prescribed by a doctor. There are other stress reducing practices students can do that do not produce “impaired coordination” or “urinary retention”. One of them is simple: exercise.

Exercise can decrease stress hormones like cortisol, and increase endorphins to give one’s mood a natural boost. The Mayo Clinic, in Arizona, suggests physical activity may be linked to lower physiological reactivity toward stress. Meaning, those who get more exercise become less affected by the stress they face. In addition to all the other benefits, exercise may supply some immunity toward future stress as well as a way to cope with current stress.

Also, changing one’s attitude toward stressors is another way to reduce stress without using medication. Students can change the way they look at the mound of work piling atop their desk. Students can see the hardships in their lives as challenges instead of a demon thrusting them into a chest pain and headache filled inferno.

Relying on medication to soften life’s stressors is not the solution. Dealing with end-of-the-semester woes can be difficult, but no one should turn to abusing medications. Think of the consequences, the side effects, the other options and make the right choice.

Why opt for weird side effects, poor judgment, and possible death, when you could just take a walk in the park? Yes, that’s it. Take a walk in the park to make life a “walk in the park”.